Daily Renewal Through Listening

במדרש שמעו כו' אל תגבהו כו'

In the Midrash: "Listen... do not be haughty..." (Tehillim 75:6).

The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash on a verse in Tehillim that pairs "listen" with a warning against haughtiness, setting up the theme of the piece.

כי הנה הרשעים אומרים עזב ה' את הארץ

For behold, the wicked say, "Hashem has forsaken the land" (Yechezkel 8:12).

The wicked deny Hashem's ongoing involvement, claiming He has abandoned the world to run on its own.

וע"ז נבראו בנ"י להעיד על הקב"ה כי הוא מחדש בכל יום מ"ב

And it was for this purpose that Bnei Yisrael were created — to bear witness regarding the Holy One, Blessed is He, that He renews each day, constantly, the act of Creation.

Against this denial, the very purpose of Bnei Yisrael is to testify that Hashem actively renews the work of Creation every single day.

ונותן ברכה בכל יום

And He bestows a fresh blessing each and every day.

Part of that daily renewal is a new flow of blessing that Hashem sends into the world each day.

והיא התורה שנותנת חיים כו' והארת התורה שמתחדש בכל יום תלוי בבנ"י השומעים

And this is the Torah, which grants life, etc., and the illumination of the Torah that is renewed each day depends upon Bnei Yisrael who listen.

This renewing force is the Torah, the source of life, and its fresh daily illumination depends on Bnei Yisrael actively listening for it.

כמ"ש שמעה עמי ואדברה

As it is written, "Listen, My people, and I will speak" (Tehillim 50:7).

He brings a verse where Hashem says "Listen, My people," showing that Hashem's speaking is bound up with our listening.

לכן אחז"ל ב"ק יוצאת מהר חורב כו'

Therefore Chazal taught that a Heavenly voice (bas kol) issues forth from Har Chorev, etc.

Chazal's teaching that a Heavenly voice goes out daily from Har Chorev shows that revelation at Sinai is an ongoing, daily event.

שכביכול הקב"ה משמיע בכל יום ד"ת והוא עלבון שאין כולנו מוכנים לשמוע דבר ה'

For so to speak, the Holy One, Blessed is He, proclaims words of Torah each day, and it is an affront that we are not all prepared to hear the word of Hashem.

Hashem is constantly proclaiming Torah, and it is a kind of insult that we fail to ready ourselves to receive His word.

וכפי מה שבנ"י מוכנים לשמוע כך מתגלה הארת התורה

And in accordance with the measure to which Bnei Yisrael are prepared to listen, so is the illumination of the Torah revealed.

The amount of Torah illumination that becomes revealed is directly proportional to how prepared Bnei Yisrael make themselves to listen.

ומזה ניתן ברכה לכל הבריאה

And from this, blessing is given to all of Creation.

When Bnei Yisrael draw down that Torah illumination, blessing then flows from it to the entire Creation.

וז"ש אשר תשמעו

And this is the meaning of "that you shall listen" (Devarim 11:27).

This is the inner meaning of the Torah's phrase "that you shall listen" — the blessing hinges on listening.

ולכן אמר שמעו כו' אל תגביהו הטובה מלבוא בעולם

And therefore he said, "Listen... do not raise up" — do not prevent the good from coming into the world.

The warning "do not raise up" is read as a caution not to block the good from entering the world by failing to listen.

ובאמת השגחת הקב"ה וב"ש בעולם הוא כפי הכנת בנ"י כמ"ש אתם עדי ואני אל

And in truth, the hashgachah of the Holy One, Blessed is He and Blessed is His Name, in the world is according to the readiness of Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "You are My witnesses, and I am Hashem" (Yeshayahu 43:12).

Hashem's providence over the world is calibrated to the readiness of Bnei Yisrael, as the verse pairs our being witnesses with His Presence.

וז"ש ראה אנכי נותן שצריך האיש הישראלי לראות התחדשות שיש בכל יום

And this is the meaning of "See, I place before you" (Devarim 11:26) — that the Jewish man must see the renewal that exists each and every day.

"See, I place before you" is a charge that every Jew must perceive the daily renewal Hashem performs in the world.

והוא תלוי בכם וז"ש לפניכם:

And it depends upon you, and this is the meaning of "before you."

The verse's word "before you" teaches that this renewal and its blessing rest in our own hands.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that Bnei Yisrael were created to bear witness that the Holy One, Blessed is He, renews the act of Creation every single day, refuting the wicked who claim Hashem has abandoned the world. This daily renewal is the Torah itself, whose fresh illumination flows into the world only to the degree that Bnei Yisrael prepare themselves to listen — for Hashem proclaims His Torah anew each day from Har Chorev, and it is an affront when we are not ready to receive it. When Bnei Yisrael do listen, that Torah illumination draws blessing down upon all of Creation. Reading the verse "See, I place before you," the Sfas Emes teaches that every Jew must actively perceive this daily renewal, since Hashem's very providence in the world is calibrated to our readiness. Thus the good of the world is, quite literally, placed "before you" — in our own hands.